Rear shock tower casting

ABSTRACT

A multi-piece rear frame assembly for operably coupling components of a rear suspension to a frame rail of a vehicle frame assembly. The rear frame assembly including a rear shock tower casting welded to the frame rail and having a pair of attachment locations extending laterally outwardly for operably coupling a pair of lateral suspension links thereto, a shock tower extending upwardly for operably coupling a shock/spring assembly thereto. The frame assembly further includes an upper extrusion and a lower extrusion, each welded to the frame rail and having an attachment location for operably coupling a guide link and a forward portion of a lower control arm respectfully thereto. The frame assembly further includes a rear frame member extending downwardly from the frame rail and having an upper and lower attachment location for a rearward portion of the lower control arm and a transaxle cross member respectively thereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to a frame assembly for a motor vehicleand more particularly to a rear frame assembly including a rear shocktower casting for operably coupling the rear suspension components tothe frame assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Historically, the body structures of automotive vehicles have falleninto one of two categories--body over frame vehicles and unibodyvehicles. In both instances, steel has been used as the preferredmaterial for the structural components of these vehicles due to itscost, strength, stiffness and formability. More recently, automobilemanufacturers have explored the use of alternate materials, wheresuitable, in the manufacture of an automotive vehicle. For example,structural or reinforced molding compounds have been utilized in variousexterior body panels, hoods, trunk lids, bumpers, etc. Similarly, othermetal compositions such as aluminum or magnesium have been utilized. Theuse of these alternate materials for body structures has primarily beenin nonstructural applications. More specifically, the frame and majorbody panels which provide strength and stiffness to the vehicle havecontinued to be fabricated from steel.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A general object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle framedesign which is specifically adapted to be manufactured from highstrength aluminum alloy to take full advantage of the beneficialmaterial properties thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rear frameassembly utilizing both cast components and extruded components whichare able to meet or exceed all critical design specifications.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a unitary rearshock tower casting which includes attachment locations for a pair oflateral suspension links and a rear shock assembly.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an uppercasting, a lower extrusion and a rear extrusion member which includesattachment locations for a pair of lateral suspension links and a guiderod of the rear suspension. These and other objects and advantages willbecome more apparent when reference is made to the following drawingsand accompanying description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an automotive vehicle of thetype having a body over frame construction which incorporates the bodymount support bracket of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the extruded body mount supportbracket utilized in the frame assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the body mount support bracketillustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the front suspension castingutilized in the frame assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the front suspension castingtaken from a side opposite that shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a detailed perspective view of the rear shock tower castingutilized in the frame assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a detailed perspective view of the extruded node utilized inthe frame assembly illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the extruded node illustrated inFIG. 7.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 illustrates anautomotive vehicle of the type having a body over frame construction. Asused herein, the term left side refers to the driver's side of thevehicle and right side refers to the passenger's side of the vehicle. Inthe drawing, components generally located on the left side of thevehicle are indicated in prime reference numerals which correspond tocomponents located on the right side of the vehicle. Throughout thespecification, reference will be made to various axes of vehicle 10according to the following coordinate system convention--thelongitudinal axis, indicated as the X-axis in FIG. 1, which extends fromthe front to the rear of vehicle 10; the lateral axis, indicated as theY-axis in FIG. 1, which extends from the center line to the right sideof vehicle 10; and the vertical axis, indicated as the Z-axis in FIG. 1,which extends from the bottom to the top of vehicle 10. In addition, thearrow depicted in the perspective illustrations point toward the frontof the vehicle. Automotive vehicle 10 includes a frame assembly 12contributing the main load carrying structure of vehicle 10, as well asproviding appropriate locations for attaching various automotivecomponents thereto, such as the suspension and steering systems, thedrive line system, the fuel system and the exhaust system. In addition,frame assembly 12 provides a plurality of locations for attaching bodystructure 16 and bumper assemblies 14, 14', 16, 16' to frame assembly12.

In the presently preferred embodiment, frame assembly 12 is assembledfrom components fabricated out of high strength aluminum alloy. Thus,frame assembly 12 includes components which are uniquely adapted forfabrication out of high strength aluminum alloy. Frame assembly 12includes a front crush zone assembly 20 extending rearwardly to frontframe rail 24. Front suspension frame assembly 22 is secured to frontframe rail 24 and provides a location for attaching components of afront suspension and engine cooling module (not shown) of vehicle 10 toframe assembly 12. Front frame rail 24 extends rearwardly to body mountsupport bracket assembly 26 which provides a transition between frontframe rail 24 and rocker 28. Rocker 28 extends rearwardly and terminatesat extruded node 30 which structurally couples to rear torque boxassembly 32. Rear frame rail 34 extends rearwardly from rear torque boxassembly 32 at a location inboard of extruded node 30. Rear suspensionframe assembly 36 is secured to rear frame rail 34 and provides alocation for attaching the components of a rear suspension (not shown)of vehicle 10 to frame assembly 12. Rear frame rail 34 extendsrearwardly and terminates at extruded node 38 which structurally coupleswith rear cross member 40.

As presently preferred, a majority of the components utilized in frameassembly 12 are fabricated using an aluminum extrusion process whichrequires the structural member to have a substantially constant crosssection. For example, front crush zone structure 20, front frame rail24, body mount support bracket assembly 26, rocker 28, extruded node 30,rear torque box assembly 32, rear frame rail 34, extruded node 38, rearcross member 40 and extruded member 52 are fabricated using an aluminumextrusion process. Additional components which provide an interface toother vehicle components are fabricated as aluminum castings using apermanent mold casting process to provide the appropriate geometry andstructural support to frame assembly 12. These components include uppercasting 42, front lower casting 44 and rear lower casting 46 of frontsuspension frame assembly 22 and rear shock tower casting 48, lowerextrusion 50 and front upper extrusion 54 of rear suspension frameassembly 36.

With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 3, body mount support bracket assembly26 includes inner body mount support bracket 60 and outer body mountsupport bracket 62 disposed on opposite sides of a longitudinal railassembly including front frame rail 24 and rocker 28. More specifically,front frame rail 24 and rocker 28 have a substantially constant crosssection and are fabricated from a high strength aluminum alloy such as6061-T6 or 6063-T6 using an extrusion process and are axially aligned inan end-to-end manner. Inner body mount support bracket 60 includes outerwall 66 which abuts with inner walls 24d, 28d formed on front frame rail24 and rocker 28, thereby forming a lap joint along the inner surface ofinterface 64. Outer body mount support bracket 62 is generally C-shapedhaving top flange 62a, side flange 62b, and bottom flange 62c capturingand secured to the top wall 24a, 28a, outer wall 24b, 28b and bottomwall 24c, 28c of front frame rail 24 and rocker 28, respectively, toform a lap joint therebetween to significantly increase the strength andstiffness of frame assembly 12 at interface 64.

As presently preferred, inner body mount support bracket 60 and outerbody mount support bracket 62 have a substantially constant crosssection and are fabricated from a high strength aluminum alloy such as6061-T6 or 6063-T6 using an extrusion process. As presently preferred,inner body mount support bracket 60 and outer body mount support bracket62 are welded to front frame rail 24 and rocker 28 by a suitableprocess, such as MIG welding, along the periphery thereof. Accordingly,the wall thickness of outer wall 66, top wall 62a, side wall 62bandbottom wall 62c are approximately equal to the wall thickness of frontframe rail 24 and rocker 28. Suitable adhesives may also be utilized atthe interface of these components to further enhance the attachmenttherebetween.

Inner body mount support bracket 60 includes outer wall 66 and innerwall 72 which are laterally spaced apart and extend generally verticallyand lower wall 70 and upper wall 74 which are vertically spaced apartand which extend laterally inwardly to define a generally horizontalsurface. Outer wall 66, lower wall 70, inner wall 72 and upper wall 74are interconnected to define closed cell 68. Closed cell 68 of innerbody mount support bracket 60 provides additional stiffness to the jointformed between front frame rail 24 and rocker 28 at interface 64. Bodymount flange 76 extends laterally inwardly to define a generallyhorizontal surface having aperture 78 formed therein to receive a bodymount for operably coupling frame assembly 12 and body structure 16.Flange 80 extends laterally inwardly from outer wall portion 66 aboveclosed cell 68 to define a generally horizontal surface and cooperateswith vertical wall portion 66 and upper wall 74 to provide a locationfor attaching engine cross member 58. As presently preferred, enginecross member 58 is positioned directly adjacent interface 64 betweenfront frame rail 24 and rocker 28 thereby providing additional stiffnessat this joint.

Inner wall 72 is formed at an inclined angle such that closed cell 68tapers vertically upwardly to provide sufficient clearance for bodystructure 16. Similarly, the rearward edge of inner body mount supportbracket 60 is contoured to provide the necessary clearance for bodystructure 16.

Inner body mount support bracket 60 also provides a location forattaching various vehicle components thereto. For example, as best seenin FIG. 3, fuel lines 84, 82 are positioned and extend along rocker 28and front frame rail 24 attached to lower wall portion 70 with suitableattachment clip 86. More specifically, attachment clip 86 is attached to70 by way of a self tapping screw and captures and appropriatelypositions fuel lines 82, 84.

With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a front frame assembly 22 operablycouples the components of a front suspension, such as upper and lowercontrol arms, and rocker links for a shock/spring assembly, as well asattaching the body structure 16 and bumper 14,14' and attaching thecooling module to frame assembly 12. The front frame assembly 22includes upper casting 42' and front and rear lower castings 44' and 46'secured to a forward portion of frame rail 24' of frame assembly 12.More specifically, upper casting 42' is welded to the upper surface 24a'and inboard surface 24d' of front frame rail 24' and provides multipleinterfaces for other vehicle components. Likewise, front and rear lowercastings 44', 46' are welded to a lower surface 24c' of frame rail 24'and provides an interface for attaching a lower control arm assembly(not shown) to frame assembly 22. As presently preferred, upper casting42' and front and rear lower castings 44', 46' are fabricated from ahigh strength aluminum alloy such as A356-T6 using a permanent moldcasting process.

As viewed from the outboard side in FIG. 4, upper control arm attachmentportion 100' of upper casting 42' includes a pair of flanges 108', 110'which are longitudinally spaced apart and extend laterally outwardly todefine a vertical surface. Similarly, front control arm attachmentlocation 102' includes a pair of lateral flanges 112', 114' which arespaced apart by vertical side wall 116'and extend outwardly therefrom.Flanges 108',110' and flanges 112', 114'have apertures formedtherethrough for receiving bolts to operably couple an upper control armof the front suspension to casting 42'. Side wall 116' extendslongitudinally to define a vertical surface and has a pair of slottedapertures 118' formed therein to provide an attachment location forvehicle body structure 16. Flange 120' extends longitudinally betweenfront suspension attachment location 100' and front suspensionattachment location 102' to define a substantially horizontal surfacefor positioning and securing upper casting 42' to top surface 24a' offront frame rail 24'. Similarly, a portion of vertical side wall 116'extends downwardly beyond flange 120' and provides a substantiallyvertical surface for position and securing upper casting 42' to innersurface 24d' of front frame rail 24'.

A pair of flanges 122', 124' are longitudinally spaced apart and extendlaterally inwardly to define a vertical surface from a rear portion ofupper casting 42'. Flanges 122', 124' have an aperture formed therein toreceive a bolt to operably couple a rocker arm for a spring/shockassembly of the front suspension to casting 42'. Flange 126' extendslaterally inwardly from vertical wall portion 116 to define a horizontalsurface. Flange 126' has an aperture formed therethrough to receive anengine cooling module mount for operably coupling body structure 16 toframe assembly 12. Flange 128' extends vertically upwardly from flange120' to define a vertical surface at a forward portion of upper casting42' and provides a location for attaching the front bumper assembly 14,14' as shown in FIG. 1 to casting 42'. Upper casting 42' furtherincludes vertical gusset 130' extending rearwardly from attachmentlocation 100' and vertical gusset 132' extending laterally fromattachment location 100'. Contoured flange 134' extends laterallyinwardly from vertical face 116' to define a generally horizontalsurface which abuts an upper portion of suspension cross member 106. Aspresently preferred, upper casting 42' is welded to front frame rail 24'and front suspension cross member 106 by a suitable process, such as MIGwelding, along the periphery thereof. Suitable adhesives may also beutilized at the interface of these components to further enhance theattachment therebetween.

Front lower casting 44' includes a wall portion 136' which extendsvertically downwardly from inner surface 24d' of front frame rail 24'. Apair of flanges 138', 140' extend laterally outwardly from vertical wallportion 136' to define vertical surfaces. Similarly, rear lower casting46' includes a horizontal wall portion 142' secured to lower surface24c' of front frame rail 24' and a pair of flanges 144', 146' extendingvertically downwardly from horizontal wall 142'. Flanges 138', 140' offront lower casting 44' and flanges 144', 146' of rear lower casting 46'have apertures formed therethrough for receiving a fastener to operablycouple a lower control arm of the front suspension to frame assembly 12.Front and rear lower castings 44', 46' are preferably welded to frameassembly 12 by a suitable process, such as MIG welding around an outerperiphery of castings 44', 46' to the adjacent frame component. Suitableadhesives may also be utilized at the interface of these components tofurther enhance the attachment therebetween.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 6, the locations for attaching a rearsuspension to rear frame rail 34 of frame assembly 12 are provided byrear suspension frame assembly 36 which includes rear shock towercasting 48, lower extrusion 50 and front upper extrusion 54 and extrudedmember 52. As presently preferred, castings 48 is fabricated from highstrength aluminum alloy such as A356-T6 using a permanent castingprocess. Extruded member 52 is fabricated from a high strength aluminumalloy such as 6061-T6 or 6063-T6 using an extrusion process. Castings48, as well as extruded members 50, 54, 52, are welded to rear framerail 34 by a suitable process, such as MIG welding, along the peripherythereof.

Rear shock tower casting 48 includes wall portion 200 extendinglongitudinally to define a horizontal surface disposed on a top surface(not specifically shown) of rear frame rail 34 and wall portion 202extending longitudinally to define a vertical surface disposed alongwall 34b of rear frame rail 34. Rear shock tower casting 48 is welded torear frame rail 34 along the periphery of horizontal wall 200 andvertical wall 202. Rear shock tower casting 48 further includes rearshock tower attachment location 204 generally centrally disposedthereon, and a pair of lateral link attachment locations 206, 208disposed on opposite sides of rear shock attachment location 204.

Rear shock attachment location 204 is defined by a pair of vertical wallportions 210, 212 extending upwardly from horizontal wall portion 200.Vertical wall portions 210, 212 are situated in a longitudinally, spacedapart relationship by vertical wall portion 211 extending therebetweenas best seen in FIG. 1. Arcuate recesses 214, 216 are formed in theoutboard edges of vertical wall portions 210, 212 to provide adequateclearance for the upper portion of a rear shock/spring assembly. Anaperture is formed through vertical wall portions 210, 212 to receive afastener for operably coupling a spring/shock assembly to casting 48.Front lateral link attachment location 206 includes a pair of flanges218, 220 extending laterally outwardly from vertical wall portion 202.An aperture is formed therethrough for receiving a fastener to operablycouple a front lateral link of the rear suspension to rear shock towercasting 48. Similarly, rear lateral link attachment location includes apair of flanges 222, 224 extending laterally outwardly from verticalwall portion 202. An aperture is formed through lateral flanges 222, 224for receiving a threaded fastener to operably couple a rear lateral linkof the rear suspension to frame assembly 12.

Lower extrusion 50 includes attachment flange 226 extending generallylongitudinally along the contour of lower surface 34c of rear frame rail34. A pair of flanges 228, 230 extend vertically downwardly fromattachment flange 226. An aperture is formed therethrough for receivinga fastener to operably couple a portion of the rear suspension controlarm to frame assembly 12. As best seen in FIG. 1, gusset 232 extendsvertically upwardly from attachment flange 226 to provide additionallocal stiffness to lower extrusion 50.

Extruded member 52 is secured at an upper end to bottom surface 34c andinner surface 34d of rear frame rail 34 and extends verticallydownwardly to provide an attachment location for a rear portion of thelower control arm of the rear suspension. More specifically, extrudedmember 52 includes a pair of vertical side walls 234, 236 longitudinallyspaced apart by and extending laterally outwardly from web portion 238.Vertical web portion 238, as best seen in FIG. 1, interconnects verticalportions 234, 236 in a spaced apart relationship to provide additionalstiffness thereto. An upper end of extruded member is relieved toconform to bottom surface 34c and inner surface 34d of rear frame rail34. An aperture formed through vertical wall portions 234, 236 receive afastener for operably coupling a rear portion of the rear suspensionlower control arm to frame assembly 12. Rear suspension cross member 240is secured to a bottom end of extruded member 52 and extends laterallyto extruded member 52' for further stiffening for the lower control armattachment location.

Front upper extrusion 54 provides an attachment location to operablycoupled a guide link of the rear suspension to frame assembly 12. Morespecifically, front upper extrusion 54 includes attachment flange Aextending laterally inwardly to define a horizontal surface which iswelded to a portion of rear torque box assembly 32. A pair of flanges244, 246 extend vertically upwardly from attachment flange A and have anaperture formed therethrough for receiving a fastener to operably couplethe guide link to frame assembly 12. A vertical support flange 248 andhorizontal support flange 250 extend generally laterally from verticalflange 244 and engage an upper portion of rear frame rail 34 to provideadditional stiffness to front upper extrusion 54.

As previously described, frame assembly 12 includes extruded nodes 30,30', 38 and 38' which interconnect a longitudinal frame member with alateral frame member. As presently preferred, these extruded nodes arefabricated from a high strength aluminum alloy such as 6061-T6 or6063-T6 by an extrusion process. Nodes 30, 30' are substantially similarto nodes 38 and 38' and provide adequate stiffness at the joints tomaintain the structural integrity of frame assembly 12, therebyachieving the desired torsional and bending stiffness characteristics.Due to the similarity of these nodes, only a detailed description ofextruded node 38 is provided herein.

With reference now to FIGS. 7 and 8, extruded node 38 rigidly securesrear frame rail 34 with rear cross member 40. Extruded node 38 is agenerally L-shaped node having a longitudinal portion 300 receivedwithin an interior volume defined by upper wall 34a, outer wall 34b,lower wall 34c and inner wall 34d of rear frame rail 34 and a lateralportion 302 received within an interior volume defined by upper wall40a, outer wall 40b, lower wall 40c and inner wall 40d of rear crossmember 40. More specifically, extruded node 38 is defined by outerlongitudinal side wall 304, outer transverse side wall 306, innertransverse side wall 308 and inner longitudinal side wall 310. Interiorwall portion 312 extends between outer longitudinal side wall 304 andinner longitudinal side wall 310 to define closed cell 314, therebytriangulating the geometry of extruded node 308 to substantiallyincrease the stiffness thereof. Similarly, interior wall portion 316extends between outer transverse side wall 306 and inner transverse sidewall 308 to define closed cell 318. Apertures 320 are formed throughouter transverse side wall 306 for receiving bolts to operably couplerear bumper assembly 18, 18' to frame assembly 12. As presentlypreferred, extruded node 38 is welded to rear frame rail 34 and rearcross member 40 by a suitable process, such as MIG welding, around theperiphery thereof. Additionally, a structural adhesive may be utilizedat the interface therebetween to provide additional structuralattachment.

With reference to FIG. 1, as presently preferred, frame assembly 12 isassembled with the cast components heretofore described in a rough orunmachined state such that the location surfaces defined thereon requirefurther processing prior to assembly of the vehicle. In this regard,once frame assembly 12 has been assembled, the entire frame assembly isaccurately positioned within a computer controlled machining apparatuswhich includes geometric reference data to precisely determine theattachment locations for the various components heretofore described.

After frame assembly 12 is appropriately positioned, the computercontrolled machining equipment processes frame assembly 12 by milling orotherwise machining each attachment location to achieve the desiredgeometric dimensional tolerance for frame assembly 12. For example, theattachment locations 100, 102 for the upper and lower control arms ofthe front suspension assembly, as well as the rocker arm attachmentlocation are machined relative to one another such that the geometricdimensional tolerancing for the front suspension system is within theset specifications for each frame assembly irrespective of dimensionaldifferences due to build tolerances of frame assembly 12. Similarly,body mount attachment location 118, 118' and bumper attachment location128, 128' can be precisely machined to ensure satisfactory fit betweenframe assembly 12 and body structure 16 and front bumper assembly 14,14', respectively. Likewise, the attachment locations for the rearsuspension components can be precisely machined with respect to oneanother to ensure correct positioning of these components.

While the present invention has been described in reference to aparticular preferred embodiment, one skilled in the art would readilyrecognize that certain modifications could be made thereto withoutdeviating from the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed:
 1. An automotive frame assembly having a casting forattaching a vehicle component to a frame rail, the frame assemblycomprising:a frame rail having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outersurface and an inner surface; and a casting having a horizontal flangesecured to said top surface of said frame rail, a first vertical wallsecured to said outer surface of said frame rail, a first attachmentlocation formed on a forward end of said first vertical wall, a secondattachment location formed on a rearward end of said first verticalwall, and a third attachment location intermediately disposed betweensaid first and second attachment locations and having a pair of flangeswhich extend vertically upwardly from said horizontal flange and arespaced part by a second vertical wall, each of said pair of flangeshaving an arcuate recess formed in an outboard edge thereof below saidthird attachment location said first, second and third attachmentlocations providing a location to operably couple a vehicle component tosaid frame rail.
 2. The frame assembly of claim 1 wherein each pair offlanges of said first and second attachment locations have an apertureformed therethrough for receiving a fastener to operably couple avehicle component thereto.
 3. The frame assembly of claim 1 wherein saidcasting is welded to said frame rail around a periphery thereof.
 4. Theframe assembly of claim 1 wherein said frame rail and said casting arefabricated using a high strength aluminum alloy.
 5. The frame assemblyof claim 1 wherein said casting is fabricated using a permanent moldcasting process.
 6. An automotive frame assembly having a rear frameassembly for attaching a vehicle component to a frame rail, the frameassembly comprising:a frame rail having a top surface, a bottom surface,an outer surface and an inner surface; a shock tower casting having afirst horizontal flange secured to said top surface of said frame rail,a first vertical wall secured to said outer surface of said frame rail,a first attachment location formed on a forward end of said firstvertical wall and a second attachment location formed on a rearward endof said first vertical wall, each of said first and second attachmentlocations having a pair of flanges which are spaced longitudinally apartand extend laterally outwardly from said vertical wall, a thirdattachment location intermediately disposed between said first andsecond attachment locations, said third attachment location having apair of flanges which extend vertically upwardly from said horizontalflange and are spaced part by a second vertical wall; a front lowerextrusion having a second horizontal flange secured to said lowersurface of said frame rail, and a pair of flanges which are spacedlongitudinally apart and extend vertically downwardly from said secondhorizontal flange to define a fourth attachment location; a rear framemember secured to said inner surface and said lower surface of saidframe rail, said rear frame member having a pair of vertical walls whichare spaced longitudinally apart by a web portion such that said verticalwalls extend laterally outwardly from said web portion to define a fifthattachment location; and said first, second, third, fourth and fifthattachment locations providing a location to operably couple saidvehicle component to said frame rail.
 7. The frame assembly of claim 6further comprising a cross member secured to an end of said rear framemember opposite said frame rail.
 8. The frame assembly of claim 6wherein said frame rail, said rear frame member, said shock towercasting and said front lower extrusion are fabricated using a highstrength aluminum alloy.
 9. The frame assembly of claim 6 wherein saidshock tower casting is fabricated using a permanent mold castingprocess.
 10. An automotive frame assembly having a casting and extrusionassembly for attaching a vehicle component to a frame rail, the frameassembly comprising:a frame rail having a top surface, a bottom surface,an outer surface and an inner surface; a shock tower casting having ahorizontal flange secured to said top surface of said front frame rail,a first vertical wall secured to said outer surface of said frame rail,a first attachment location formed on a forward end of said firstvertical wall and a second attachment location formed on a rearward endof said first vertical wall, each of said first and second attachmentlocations having a pair of lateral flanges which are spaced apart andextend outwardly from said vertical wall, a third attachment locationintermediately disposed between said first and second attachmentlocations, said third attachment location having a pair of flanges whichextend vertically upwardly from said horizontal flange and are spacedpart by a second vertical wall; an upper extrusion having a pair ofvertical flanges extending upwardly from said upper surface of saidframe rail to define a fourth attachment location and a horizontalflange extending inwardly from one of said pair of vertical flanges andsecured to said upper surface of said frame rail, forwardly of saidshock tower casting; a lower extrusion having a horizontal wall securedto said lower surface of said frame rail, and a pair of flanges whichare spaced longitudinally apart and extend vertically downwardly fromsaid horizontal wall to define a fifth attachment location; a rear framemember secured to said inner surface and said lower surface of saidframe rail rearwardly of said lower extrusion, said rear frame memberhaving a pair of vertical walls which are spaced longitudinally apart bya web portion such that said vertical walls extend laterally outwardlyfrom said web portion to define a sixth attachment location; and saidfirst, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth attachment locationsproviding a location to operably couple said vehicle component to saidframe rail.
 11. The frame assembly of claim 10 further comprising across member secured to an end of said rear frame member opposite saidframe rail.
 12. The frame assembly of claim 10 wherein said frame rail,said rear frame member, said shock tower casting, said upper casting andsaid lower extrusion are fabricated using a high strength aluminumalloy.
 13. The frame assembly of claim 10 wherein said shock towercasting is fabricated using a permanent mold casting process.